Mercedes-Benz is set to enter the compact-size urban delivery van market with the introduction of their new Citan which will arrive in Ireland early next year.

Set to fill a gap in their van range alongside the larger Sprinter and Vito series, the Citan will bring Mercedes-Benz into the high-volume small delivery van segment in which it has not been previously represented.

The Citan will come in a choice of three lengths - 3.94m, 4.32m and 4.71m - and three model variants ­ standard van, combined 5-seater van/crew carrier and 5-seater personnel carrier. Depending on model choice, it will have three different gross vehicle weights up to a maximum 2,200kgs.

Power will be provided by a range of low consumption engines - three direct-injection, high-torque, turbo diesels with outputs from 75bhp to110bhp and a nippy, supercharged petrol unit generating 114bhp. Fuel saving BlueEFFICIENCY is standard on petrol models and optional on diesels.

Commenting, Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles sales manager Fergus Conheady said that "with their policy of offering competitive pricing tagged to low running costs, it is expected that Citan will be an attractively-priced competitor in the high-volume city van market when first models are launched here early next year."